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NAN建筑事务所

Based in Shanghai, NAN Architects produces creative offices, R&D facilities, and exhibition pavilions marked by expressive structural geometries, combining branching piers, pinched facades, and rotated volumes with stark transitions between perforated brick and lightweight glass gables. This work serves as a strong reference when detailing sculptural external circulation, configuring expressively tapered structural supports, or resolving tectonic shifts between solid masonry and soaring glazed enclosures.

Before and after comparison exterior shots of a residential villa renovation in Shanghai by NAN Architects.

上海华山路别墅改造_调整大小

上海

A residential villa renovation precedent demonstrating how a dated classical facade can be modernized through clean brickwork, simplified geometry, and a welcoming entry canopy.

What we like about this project
Complete eradication of eclectic classical decorative elements in favor of austere planar brick.

Materials

  • brick
  • stucco
  • metal
  • glass

Visual identifiers

  • before-and-after
  • brick-facade
  • entry-canopy
  • residential-renovation

Style tags

  • contemporary
  • renovation
  • minimal-traditional

Visual tags

  • renovation
  • facade-transformation
  • residential
  • brick
  • contemporary-update
Geometry
Side-by-side comparison showing before and after facade modifications. The original heavy eclectic classical mass with red stucco and faux-balustrade is replaced by clean brick planes, contemporary canopy, and vertical fenestration.
Facade system
Brick masonry veneer replacing flat stucco and arched punch openings.
Structural guess
Masonry and concrete frame bearing walls with new architectural cladding.
Spatial scale
Two-story residential villa scale, intimate domestic entry.
Lighting
Direct, bright daylight casting sharp architectural shadows on the facade elements.
Atmosphere
Clean, orderly, and refreshed transformation from heavy classical revival to contemporary warmth.
Environmental context
Suburban residential villa driveway and garden setting in Shanghai.
Spatial experience
The entry sequence shifts from an enclosed, dated classical portico to an open, articulated brick-paved courtyard porch with integrated planting beds.
Composition rhythm
Vertical rhythm established by updated window proportions and brick piers.
Style reading
Contemporary residential transformation
Program
Residential villa
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture
Materials
brick, stucco, metal, glass
Visual identifiers
before-and-after, brick-facade, entry-canopy, residential-renovation
Style tags
contemporary, renovation, minimal-traditional
Visual tags
renovation, facade-transformation, residential, brick, contemporary-update
Geometry
Side-by-side comparison showing before and after facade modifications. The original heavy eclectic classical mass with red stucco and faux-balustrade is replaced by clean brick planes, contemporary canopy, and vertical fenestration.
Facade system
Brick masonry veneer replacing flat stucco and arched punch openings.
Structural guess
Masonry and concrete frame bearing walls with new architectural cladding.
Spatial scale
Two-story residential villa scale, intimate domestic entry.
Lighting
Direct, bright daylight casting sharp architectural shadows on the facade elements.
Atmosphere
Clean, orderly, and refreshed transformation from heavy classical revival to contemporary warmth.
Environmental context
Suburban residential villa driveway and garden setting in Shanghai.
Spatial experience
The entry sequence shifts from an enclosed, dated classical portico to an open, articulated brick-paved courtyard porch with integrated planting beds.
Composition rhythm
Vertical rhythm established by updated window proportions and brick piers.
Style reading
Contemporary residential transformation
Program
Residential villa
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture

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  • About
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  • © 2026 HappyCluster

Directories

  • Firms
  • Patterns

AI Native Apps

  • AI Mode Search
  • SoftMarket
  • 2nd Brain

About HappyCluster

  • About
  • How it works
  • Contact

Connect

  • Waitlist
  • X
  • GitHub

Legal

  • Privacy
  • Terms

HappyCluster

© 2026

Before and after comparison exterior shots of a residential villa renovation in Shanghai by NAN Architects.

上海华山路别墅改造_调整大小

上海

A residential villa renovation precedent demonstrating how a dated classical facade can be modernized through clean brickwork, simplified geometry, and a welcoming entry canopy.

What we like about this project
Complete eradication of eclectic classical decorative elements in favor of austere planar brick.

Materials

  • brick
  • stucco
  • metal
  • glass

Visual identifiers

  • before-and-after
  • brick-facade
  • entry-canopy
  • residential-renovation

Style tags

  • contemporary
  • renovation
  • minimal-traditional

Visual tags

  • renovation
  • facade-transformation
  • residential
  • brick
  • contemporary-update
Geometry
Side-by-side comparison showing before and after facade modifications. The original heavy eclectic classical mass with red stucco and faux-balustrade is replaced by clean brick planes, contemporary canopy, and vertical fenestration.
Facade system
Brick masonry veneer replacing flat stucco and arched punch openings.
Structural guess
Masonry and concrete frame bearing walls with new architectural cladding.
Spatial scale
Two-story residential villa scale, intimate domestic entry.
Lighting
Direct, bright daylight casting sharp architectural shadows on the facade elements.
Atmosphere
Clean, orderly, and refreshed transformation from heavy classical revival to contemporary warmth.
Environmental context
Suburban residential villa driveway and garden setting in Shanghai.
Spatial experience
The entry sequence shifts from an enclosed, dated classical portico to an open, articulated brick-paved courtyard porch with integrated planting beds.
Composition rhythm
Vertical rhythm established by updated window proportions and brick piers.
Style reading
Contemporary residential transformation
Program
Residential villa
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture
Materials
brick, stucco, metal, glass
Visual identifiers
before-and-after, brick-facade, entry-canopy, residential-renovation
Style tags
contemporary, renovation, minimal-traditional
Visual tags
renovation, facade-transformation, residential, brick, contemporary-update
Geometry
Side-by-side comparison showing before and after facade modifications. The original heavy eclectic classical mass with red stucco and faux-balustrade is replaced by clean brick planes, contemporary canopy, and vertical fenestration.
Facade system
Brick masonry veneer replacing flat stucco and arched punch openings.
Structural guess
Masonry and concrete frame bearing walls with new architectural cladding.
Spatial scale
Two-story residential villa scale, intimate domestic entry.
Lighting
Direct, bright daylight casting sharp architectural shadows on the facade elements.
Atmosphere
Clean, orderly, and refreshed transformation from heavy classical revival to contemporary warmth.
Environmental context
Suburban residential villa driveway and garden setting in Shanghai.
Spatial experience
The entry sequence shifts from an enclosed, dated classical portico to an open, articulated brick-paved courtyard porch with integrated planting beds.
Composition rhythm
Vertical rhythm established by updated window proportions and brick piers.
Style reading
Contemporary residential transformation
Program
Residential villa
Perspective
Exterior Facade
Discipline
architecture

Related in this portfolio